“The community can’t physically come together because of the pandemic but “we know there will be a strong desire to gather and to remember those that we lost,” said Sandy Gudorf, president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership. “We thought let’s let our community come together virtually and support each other. This is just a small way of doing that.”
The anniversary remembrance will incorporate “Dayton shines” within the design and organizers hope images of individuals, families and favorite places will reflect that idea.
“What makes Dayton shine is our community, our families and the people that live here,” Gudorf said.
The photos will be combined into one united memorial image and be unveiled on the City of Dayton website Tuesday, Aug. 4, the anniversary of the shooting.
The deadline to submit photos is Sunday, Aug. 2, at 5 p.m.
There are three steps to submit photos for the memorial.
1. Take a photo of yourself, your family/friends, or something that represents how #DaytonShines (photos in a square format are preferred, but not required)
2. Text your photo to 937-230-7547
3. Reply “yes” to the automated text response to confirm your photo entry into the mosaic
The community is also encouraged to show their support and honor the memory of those lost by posting their submitted photo on social media alongside the hashtag #DaytonShines.
The hashtag #DaytonShines was created to reference the Gem City, as well as the Gem City Shine event held following the mass shooting in downtown Dayton that brought together tens of thousands of Daytonians on the streets of the Oregon District.
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